The UC College of Allied Health Sciences has received a $1.88 million endowment for research within the Department of Nutritional Sciences. This gift, from an anonymous donor, will endow a research program for dietary studies in maternal and child nutrition, with a focus on birth defects. With this gift, the department will hire study related personnel and provide an annual thesis award.

Grace Falciglia, PhD, head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences said projects are already in the planning stages.

“Our first project will focus on a retrospective study bases on previously gathered dietary data on pregnant women,” said Falciglia. “This gift will allow us to bring in Dr. Anna Maria Siega-Ritz, a nationally recognized expert on this area of research from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She will provide us with the framework for future data collection.”

This gift marks the largest of its kind given to the College of Allied Health Sciences since it was granted college status and became part of the UC Medical Center in March 1998. It began as the Center for Health-Related Programs in 1995.

“This endowment provides a significant building block to position the college and the Department of Nutritional Sciences to be recognized nationally and internationally for clinical research in maternal and child nutrition,” said Elizabeth King, PhD, dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences.